Geocoding is a process by which alphanumeric descriptions of locations (e.g., street addresses) are converted into coordinates of one or more points in space, or “geolocations,” that are associated with such locations. Common geocoders for generating maps of locations, or routes or directions based on such maps, include software applications or hardware components that may generate one or more spatial geocodes from descriptions of locations or references to such locations, using one or more text evaluation procedures, probabilistic algorithms or geospatial data sources.
For example, when a street address is entered into a text box or otherwise provided to a mapping application (e.g., a web-based application accessed via a browser, or a dedicated application operating on one or more portable computer devices), a destination corresponding to the street address is identified, and one or more routes from a predetermined origin (e.g., a location of a computer device from which the street address was entered or provided, or any other relevant location) to the destination may be determined. An optimal or recommended route from the origin to the destination may be identified and selected according to any path-planning principles or criteria.
Although geocoding processes may accurately convert text-based or numeric descriptions of locations to coordinates, such processes do not consider physical attributes of the locations, or conditions at the locations, when identifying coordinates of the locations and returning such locations to a user. For example, when a common carrier intends to deliver a parcel to a customer located in a building, the common carrier may use a geocoder or geocoding application to determine both a location of the building, and a driving route to the location, based on a street address of the building on a handheld device such as a smartphone, or a computer device provided in a delivery vehicle. Such techniques may not, however, identify an appropriate parking area for the delivery vehicle at the location, or furnish any additional information regarding a specific point at the location where the parcel should be delivered by hand, or determine a walking route between the parking area and the specific point. Such techniques also may not determine whether the parking area, the specific point or the walking route may vary based on temporal, weather, seasonal, legal or regulatory considerations, or special events that may be scheduled or occurring within a vicinity of the building. Such techniques also fail to consider any prior histories in traveling to the location, or general or specific preferences of individuals or entities in the location, when determining coordinates of the location.